英语

respectability

gb/ɹispˌɛktəbˈɪlɪti/ us/ɹispˌɛktəbˈɪlɪti/
B2 英语
~ 9900
义项
0 个义项
名词 B2 state
1

being seen as proper and decent

The quality of being seen by other people as good, honest, and proper in normal society.

用法模式: the respectability of [someone/something]
常见错误:
Learners sometimes confuse 'respectability' with 'respect'. 'Respect' is what you feel or show toward someone, while 'respectability' is the quality of being seen as respectable by others. For example, 'She has the respect of her team' (correct) vs. 'She has respectability from her team' (unnatural).
近义词
decency (Stresses basic moral standards; less focused on social image than 'respectability'.) | propriety (More formal; emphasizes correct behavior according to social rules.)
反义词
disrepute (Focuses on having a bad public reputation instead of a good, respectable one.) | notoriety (Being widely known for bad or shocking behavior, the opposite of being respectable.)
搭配
gain respectability |lose respectability |middle-class respectability |social respectability |a veneer of respectability |air of respectability
主题
social |values |reputation |relationships |core_vocabulary
例句
  • He was more interested in wealth than in respectability.
  • After the scandal, the company struggled to regain its respectability.
  • Her quiet lifestyle gave her an image of old-fashioned respectability.
  • They wanted to enjoy success without sacrificing their respectability.
  • The charity brought a new level of respectability to the organization.
学习者例句
  • His parents care a lot about respectability in their small town.
  • The politician lost his respectability after the news reports.
  • She worked hard to build a life of respectability for her children.
  • The new law helped bring respectability to the local police force.
  • People said his wild past did not fit with his new respectability.
unknown C1 state
2

respectable social or class status

A safe, normal social position or way of life that other people see as proper and respectable.

用法模式: [someone] seeks [respectability]
常见错误:
Learners may mix this sense with the general moral-quality sense. Here, 'respectability' refers to an overall lifestyle or social position, not just to being a good person. In sentences like 'He married for respectability', it means for a stable, accepted social status, not simply to become more moral.
近义词
respectable status (More literal phrase describing the same social position as 'respectability'.) | social standing (Focuses on position in society; not always about being respectable, but often overlaps.)
反义词
outsider status (Describes not belonging to accepted social groups, the opposite of comfortable respectability.) | bohemianism (A lifestyle that often rejects conventional respectability and middle-class values.)
搭配
seek respectability |marry for respectability |a life of respectability |job with some respectability |return to respectability
主题
social |lifestyle |reputation |daily_life |relationships
例句
  • He married into an old family to gain a measure of respectability.
  • After years on the road, she longed for a quiet respectability in the suburbs.
  • The new job offered him financial security and a certain social respectability.
  • The artist rejected respectability and chose a more unconventional life.
  • They used the business as a path to respectability in their new country.
学习者例句
  • He wanted respectability, so he left his criminal friends.
  • She took an office job for respectability, not for love of the work.
  • They moved to a nice area to show respectability.
  • His parents hoped marriage would bring him respectability.
  • The company name gave the small store some respectability.
名词 C1 state
3

being accepted as serious or valid

The state of being seen as real, serious, and acceptable in a special area, like science, art, or politics.

用法模式: [something] gains [field] respectability
常见错误:
Learners may use only 'respect' here, saying 'the theory gained respect' instead of 'the theory gained scientific respectability'. Both are possible, but 'respectability' emphasizes formal acceptance in a field, often with institutions or experts.
近义词
legitimacy (Stresses being recognized as valid or proper authority; often interchangeable in institutional contexts.) | credibility (Focuses on being believable and trustworthy rather than on social or academic status.)
反义词
fringe status (Describes being outside the accepted mainstream of a field, the opposite of institutional respectability.) | discredit (The loss of trust or approval that removes respectability from an idea or activity.)
搭配
scientific respectability |academic respectability |cultural respectability |political respectability |gain respectability in the mainstream |lack of respectability
主题
academia |culture |business |work |education
例句
  • The theory only gained scientific respectability after years of testing.
  • Online courses have slowly achieved academic respectability.
  • The movement sought political respectability by forming a formal party.
  • Video games are gradually winning cultural respectability as an art form.
  • The lack of peer review damaged the journal's respectability.
学习者例句
  • The new idea needed time to gain scientific respectability.
  • Comics have more cultural respectability today than in the past.
  • His research gave the small field some academic respectability.
  • The group wants political respectability, so it follows the rules.
  • The magazine lost respectability after it printed many false stories.
语法
词典原形
respectability
IPA
GB/ɹispˌɛktəbˈɪlɪti/
US/ɹispˌɛktəbˈɪlɪti/
音节与重音
re - spect - ab - il - ity (5 个音节)
Stress on 4th syllable (il)
词形变化
Noun
  • Base: respectability
  • Plural: respectability
词族
Core family
respect noun B1 respectable adjective B1
Related words
respectful adjective B1 respectfully adverb B2 respectably adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
disrespect noun disrespectful adjective B2 disrespectfully adverb
相关表达

a cloak of respectability

1
/ə klˈoʊk əv ɹispˌɛktəbˈɪlɪti/
idiom

respectable image that hides wrongdoing

A respectable public image that is used to cover or hide bad or illegal actions.

例句
  • The company used its environmental work as a cloak of respectability for its other harmful practices.
  • The school was a cloak of respectability for a group of extremists.

a veneer of respectability

1
/ə vənˈɪɹ əv ɹispˌɛktəbˈɪlɪti/
idiom

a thin show of being respectable

A thin or false appearance of being respectable that hides bad or dishonest things underneath.

例句
  • The charity gave a veneer of respectability to his money-laundering scheme.
  • The old family name provided a veneer of respectability, but the business was deeply corrupt.

an air of respectability

1
/ən ˈɛɹ əv ɹispˌɛktəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase

a general feeling of respectability

A general feeling or look that makes someone or something seem respectable.

例句
  • The dark wood and quiet music gave the bar an air of respectability.
  • His suit and careful manners created an air of respectability that people trusted.

for the sake of respectability

1
/fɚ ðə sˈeɪk əv ɹispˌɛktəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase

in order to seem respectable

Because you want to appear respectable to other people, not because you really want to do it.

例句
  • They stayed together for the sake of respectability, not love.
  • He took a steady job for the sake of respectability and to please his family.

respectability politics

1
/ɹispˌɛktəbˈɪlɪti pˈɑlətˌɪks/
fixed phrase formal

strategy of behaving respectably for acceptance

The idea that people, often from a minority group, should act and look very respectable to gain acceptance or fair treatment from the wider society.

例句
  • Critics argue that respectability politics put unfair pressure on Black communities.
  • The debate over respectability politics has shaped discussions of protest and public image.

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